Kaufman Interfaith Institute

Staff & Contact Information

Doug Kindschi is the founding director of the Kaufman Interfaith Institute. He is also a Professor of Mathematics and Philosophy at Grand Valley State University, and was previously Dean of Sciences at GVSU for 28 years. With a unique path of starting in science and ending up in religion, Kindschi is particularly interested in the relationship between the two fields. After spending 7 months at the Cambridge Interfaith Programme in Cambridge, England, Kindschi has returned to Grand Rapids with new interfaith initiatives in the community as well as internationally.

Katie joined Kaufman as Program Manager in the summer of 2013. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in Political Science & Religious Studies at Alma College, while also leading several organizations, including the Interfaith Council, Model United Nations, Center for Responsible Leadership, and the college radio station. Katie's interest in the non-profit sector came from a summer in Washington DC participating in the Institute for Voluntary Service & Philanthropy at Georgetown University, and her specific focus on interfaith issues came from international travels with Alma College and Interfaith Youth Core trainings throughout her undergrad.

Kelly James Clark is the Senior Research Fellow, as well as a visiting professor of Religious Studies and Honors at Grand Valley State University. He works in philosophy of religion, ethics, and Chinese thought and culture. He is the author, editor, or co-author of more than twenty books and author of over fifty articles. Clark has recently been working with Muslims, Christians and Jews on religious liberty in countries such as Turkey, Israel, Nigeria, and Indonesia. Classes he teaches at Grand Valley include Diversity Dialogue, where students engage in an Interfaith Youth Core Better Together program to do interfaith service on campus and/or in the community.

Shelby Bruseloff is the Communications Coordinator for Kaufman and serves on the board for Better Together @ GVSU, Grand Valley State University's interfaith student organization. She is a Social Work major at Grand Valley, the president of Hillel, the Jewish student organization on Grand Valley's campus, and a founding chapter member of Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority. Shelby attended an Interfaith Youth Corps Leadership Institute in the summer of 2014, where she found her passion for interfaith.

Sam Lampe is the Graduate Intern at Kaufman, as well as the Office of Student Life Campus Programming Graduate Assistant at Grand Valley State University. Presently, Sam is working towards a M.Ed in Higher Education College of Student Affairs Leadership. Through his work with Kaufman, Sam will help develop programming focused around interfaith dialogue on campus.

We are located within the Grand Valley State University Center for Health Sciences building, on the corner of Michigan & Lafayette. There is a parking garage in the bottom floors of the building, with the entrance located off of Lafayette St (close to the I-196 overpass highway). Please contact us to receive a parking pass for the garage.